


From Behind Closed Doors

by AppleCat4



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Comedy, Cute, Developing Relationship, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), First Kiss, Fluff, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Light BDSM, M/M, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:54:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28696530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AppleCat4/pseuds/AppleCat4
Summary: In the months following the coronation of Firelord Zuko, his staff begins to notice an...interesting...relationship developing between him and the friendly water tribe ambassador. Basically the staff witnessing their relationship developing :)
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 361





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I wrote this randomly because I couldn't sleep at like 3am and thought it would be funny to think about the encounters Zuko's staff would overhear between him and Sokka.

The stairs to the firelord bedchambers still made Oyuna’s chest fill with fear and anxiety. It had been six months since Ozai had been imprisoned and Firelord Zuko had taken over as leader, but there was still a definite stench of the previous reign that hung in the air of the palace. The kitchen maid approached the large red room and bowed to the two guards that were perpetually stationed outside the door as she tentatively reached out a hand to knock on the door. 

“Enter.” The new firelord’s voice rang out from inside. 

The door creaked open and she shuffled in, averting her eyes from the Firelord’s. “Your breakfast, sir.” 

He looked up at her from the small table he was sitting at and nodded. “Thank you.” He said quietly, returning to bow his head back over the scroll he had been reading before she entered. 

She set the tray gently on one of the other tables in the room and retreated, eyes looking up briefly to examine him out of curiosity. The contrast between Firelord Zuko and his father was immense. Ozai had always been intensely short with his staff, creating an atmosphere of complete fear and terror wherever he went. Everytime Oyuna had entered his chambers with breakfast her hands had been trembling, a few times this caused a slight slip that resulted in Ozai shooting angry streams of flames at her feet as punishment. But his son was so much quieter and kinder. He wasn’t very talkative but he often gave her a small half smile, or at least attempted one every time she brought his food and thanked her. She was pretty sure Ozai had never uttered the words “thank you” in his entire life. 

When she reentered the kitchen after descending the maze of staircases between the two areas she saw the new watertribe ambassador sitting at the long wooden table cheerfully eating a bowl of something. The other kitchen servants kept exchanging confused glances behind his back, unsure exactly what to do. A member of the Firelord’s council had never even set foot in the kitchen. “Good morning Oyuna!” the ambassador called, smiling and waving at her. 

She waved hesitantly back. He had been coming in almost every morning the past month and no one was really sure if it was even allowed, but he was kind and had a bubbly personality so the servants said nothing about it. He made some passing comment about how the dining room was too formal and stuffy for him when he caught their confused looks. A few minutes later he finished whatever food he had been eating and walked to the basin to wash the dish. “Ambassador, please, allow me.” Cho, one of the dish maids, said hurriedly. 

He waved her away with a casual smile. “Ah it's alright! You’ve got all the fancy dishes to wash for breakfast. I can handle a little bowl. This big red place hasn’t made me that soft!” he chuckled at his own joke and the servants exchanged glances again. 

“ _ Is this allowed?”  _ One of them mouthed to Oyuna.

She shrugged, unsure of what to do. Never in the history of the palace had one of the members they served not only came to eat breakfast with them but insisted on washing his own dish. A few minutes later he was finished and turned to Oyuna. “Is Zuko - I mean...uh….Firelord Zuko….awake?” He asked, catching himself on the formality slip. 

She noticed that happened often. It was odd to hear to Firelord’s name so casually thrown out without any titles. She nodded. “Yes sir. I brought the firelord his breakfast 30 minutes ago.” 

“Great! Thanks Oyuna!” he said, grinning and bounding off towards the staircase. 

*******

As the seasons changed and the weather got warmer, Asee noticed that the new Firelord had been spending more and more time late at night in his study, pouring over various scrolls and law revisions with a permanent frown creasing his face. In fact, this happened so often that the head of the guard had arranged an entire other shift for the guards that stood outside his study. That's how Asee managed to find himself moved from garden patrol to standing outside the firelord's study until 3 or 4 in the morning every night. 

It was one night such as this one, around 1 in the morning and in sweltering heat, that Asee saw a figure appear at the top of the staircase that led to the study. He tensed, hands clenching in getting ready to strike, but relaxed when he saw it was only the new ambassador to the water tribe, Sokka, he believed his name was. 

The young boy was the same age as the firelord but looked much younger, most likely due to the fact he always had a youthful smile plastered across his face instead of a grumpy firelord frown. The ambassador bounced down the hallway and smiled, waving to Asee and the other guard. He walked up and stopped outside of the door, then knocked loudly. “Uh...sir...we’ve been instructed to not let anyone enter the study….” the other guard said, unsure of what to do. People rarely came so late at night, especially people of such high status.

Usually they only had to dissuade other servants who were looking to bring the firelord dinner or help him with other nightly things, but never a member of the council. Ambassador Sokka eyed the guard then rolled his eyes and pounded on the door louder. “Hey hotman! Open up!” He shouted. 

Both guards stared at each other with wide eyes.  _ Hotman?  _ Never in their life had they heard anyone address the firelord with such flagrant language. They winced as they heard the footsteps of the man inside, sure that this ambassador was about to get a lesson in respect. 

Instead the door opened slowly to reveal only a slightly ticked off Firelord Zuko. “What Sokka?” he sighed, also blatantly forgoing any formality. 

“You’ve been holed up in here for like...six nights in a row! Come on, come have dinner with me.” Sokka frowned, crossing his arms. 

The firelord shook his head. “I can’t. I have to deal with this trade embargo before tomorrow’s meeting.” 

“Fiiiinne Mr. Important. Then I’m coming in.” 

“Wha-” 

The ambassador didn’t wait for permission before pushing past into the study and flopping down in one of the large chairs in front of the desk. The guards peaked out of the corner of their eyes.  _ This has to be a yelling point... _ Asee thought. If anyone had even dared attempt this with Ozai they would be hanging by their feet in the dungeons by now, but Firelord Zuko just sighed and rolled his eyes. “You’re annoying.” he said quietly, closing the door. 

****

Over the next month the servants of the palace noticed they saw a lot more of this new ambassador. He seemed to be glued to the firelord's side when not in council, and often dropped formality whenever the other council members disappeared, but the firelord didn’t seem to mind. In fact, they noticed a visible change in their leader whenever the young water tribe boy was around. His face seemed to light up, the tension from his shoulders lifted, and he even  _ laughed  _ a few times. 

It was around 9pm when Ambassador Sokka came down into the kitchens, greeting the staff as he entered. They were slowly beginning to get used to his presence, but it was still a bit odd. “Evening Oyuna!” He greeted, finding the kitchen maid retrieving a tray from the cabinets. 

“Uh...oh….good evening, ambassador Sokka.” She said, bowing, a little caught off guard. 

“Oh...uh right.” He returned the bow awkwardly, then his eyes fixed on the tray she was currently preparing. “Is that for Z-the firelord?” 

“Yes. He requested dinner in his study tonight.” 

The ambassador rolled his eyes. “Can you take it to the gardens and set up a table there please instead?” He asked, eyes wide.

“Uh….I'm not sure if I should…” She stuttered nervously.  _ Disobey a direct request from the firelord? _

“Oh come on! He’s been eating dinner in his study  _ every night  _ for like a month! His flaminess needs some fresh air.” 

Reluctantly she nodded, partly caught off guard by the use of “his flaminess” to refer to the firelord. She prayed to Agni she wasn’t about to get fired or assassinated as she began moving the food out into the gardens. After setting everything up, she retreated a fair distance and stood at attention. If the firelord was not taking dinner in his private chambers, she was to stand and wait until he had finished his meal, as was custom. After a few minutes, she saw the two boys enter the gardens, one being dragged along by the other. The Firelord looked rather annoyed and Oyuna’s chest tightened with fear. Had the young ambassador gone too far this time? She waited for a swell of rage but instead, Firelord Zuko just laughed and rolled his eyes, sitting down in the chair and beginning to eat. She didn’t think she had ever heard a firelord give a genuine laugh before, but as she watched the two dine, he laughed a few more times throughout the meal. 

When they were finished, Ambassador Sokka seemed to be trying to convince him to go for a walk, and reluctantly the firelord accepted and the two strolled off into the gardens. 

**** 

“Good evening Uzuki!” Oyuna called as she entered the kitchens to prepare the firelord’s dinner. 

“Evening!” The head chef called as she tended to the firelord’s dinner. 

Oyuna noticed there was much more food than normal in front of her. “The firelord requested two dinners be brought to his study again this evening.” She said. 

Oyuna looked up, brow furrowed. “Two?” 

“Yeah ten guesses who the other one’s for.” One of the other maids giggled from the table. 

Uzuki threw her a glare. “It's not polite to speculate about the firelord's….personal relationships.” 

The two maids at the table giggled quietly and began whispering to each other. Oyuna knew they had been referring to Ambassador Sokka. The two seemed to be growing increasingly close and the last few days he had been taking his dinners in the fire lords private chambers. No one could remember a time when  _ anyone  _ was permitted to dine with the firelord in his private chambers. Not even their spouses. But for some reason this water tribe kid was the exception. 

After piling the food onto the tray and trudging up the long staircase, she reached the large door to the study and knocked. “Enter.” the call came, and she pushed the door open, then stopped out of shock at the scene in front of her. 

Firelord Zuko was sitting not at his desk but in one of the large armchairs by the fire, reading some book that looked big and dusty. The ambassador was sitting  _ on the floor  _ pressed against the Firelord's leg, scroll in one hand and his head resting against the other's knee. His hair was splayed out and she noticed the firelord was running his fingers gently through it. “Thanks Oyuna!” he said cheerfully when he saw her set the tray down. 

Firelord Zuko just nodded, too focused on whatever he was reading to say anything. “When are you going to sleep?” the ambassador whined, tilting his head back to look at the firelord upside down. 

The other boy looked down at him and frowned. “I told you you can go to sleep whenever.” 

“I'm not going to sleep until you do. Someone has to make sure you actually do and I’m the only one brave enough to stand up to the big scary firelord.” 

The other rolled his eyes and pushed the ambassadors head up. “You’re an idiot.” She heard him mutter as she retreated from the room. 

****

For the next two weeks, two dinners had been brought up to the firelord's private study every night. Oyuna had slowly become accustomed to witnessing the firelord's affections for the water tribe boy often. The servants held back giggles whenever they saw the two walking the halls and whispers followed them wherever they went. The two boys had shown no signs of being romantically entangled, but they couldn’t help but notice the small, quiet touches exchanged between the two and the long, pining looks at the other when they thought they weren’t looking. That night, when she brought the firelord and the ambassador dinner, she noticed a distinct shift in the atmosphere as she opened the door. Instead of the two boys being seated, pouring over something from earlier in the day, they were both standing and facing each other, faces slightly flushed. The two looked at her when she entered and she set the tray down, glancing between them curiously. “Ah….your dinners….sir.” 

“Thanks Oyuna.” the ambassador said, but something about him was different. 

The firelord nodded and she could see the tension in his eyes as they flitted back to the other boy. As she left, the two were gazing into each other’s eyes, the presence of food almost completely forgotten. 

Later that night, she waited outside the kitchens, looking for when the guards were released from their post outside the study. “Asee!” She called, running after him when she saw the man appear. 

“Ah, Miss Oyuna, what keeps you up so late.” He asked.

“I was wondering….did anything happen in the firelord's study tonight? When I entered the tension was palpable. Did the ambassador and the firelord have a fight?” She knew she wasn’t supposed to gossip about the royals but she couldn’t help herself. 

The man frowned and paused for a moment. “You know, I’m not entirely sure….everything was going on like normal….and then we heard some yelling…..then it was quiet again….it was so odd.” 

“What were they yelling about?” She asked.

“All I heard was the firelord say “This is my job, Sokka” and the other responded “And this is my job idiot, I care about you!” and then they were quiet again.”

She frowned,  _ what did that mean?  _

****

The next few days were uneventful. Things carried on as normal. Two dinners were requested to be brought to the study every night, and the boys stayed glued to each other's side. However, the staff did notice not only had the ambassador stop coming down for breakfast, but Oyuna noticed when she entered the study with the trays every night, the two boys seemed to be sitting a lot closer to each other, and one time the ambassador was just...standing awkwardly next to the firelord as she entered. 

“Do you think they’re together?” One of the younger kitchen maids whispered as Oyuna told them about the interactions she had observed. 

“No….I mean…..doesn’t the firelord usually court someone from one of the wealthy families? Besides, there's like a whole system for selecting a bride and Firelord Zuko hasn’t even attempted to set it up.” 

The younger girl shrugged. “There’s a lot of things he does out of the ordinary though. Have you noticed how the ambassador addresses him?  _ Your hotness, his royal flaminess, flame lord, Zuko the big and scary, jerkbender _ ” She rattled off the series of nicknames they had heard the water tribe boy call the firelord since he’s been here. 

Oyuna shrugged, still uncertain. 

However the next morning proved to be much more enlightening. The ring for breakfast came two hours late, and it came with a request for  _ two  _ breakfasts to be sent up to his private bedchambers. The maids all giggled when Oyuna was relayed the message and she flushed. “I bet it’s ambassador Sokka, I wonder if they spent the night together.” One of the maids giggled. 

“It's probably one of the royal courtesans.” One of the older maids said, glaring at the other one. “The firelords have a long history of entertaining them.” 

“I don't think the royal courtesans are exactly the new firelord’s type.” the younger one giggled again. “Not enough muscles and other...masculine features.” 

The older maid glared at her as she handed Oyuna the breakfast trays. As she ascended the staircase, her heart began to beat imagining who she would find. She had waited on Ozai before the night after an escapade with one of the courtesans. It was always uncomfortable. The stiff formalities between them, the room reeking of sex and perfume. As she approached the door, she noticed the guards exchanging looks at the two breakfast trays.  _ “Told you so.”  _ She saw one mouth to the other. Slowly she knocked upon the door and waited for the firelord to permit her to enter. As she swung it open and stepped inside, her eyes darted around searching for a woman and her eyes were drawn by the sudden motion from the firelord's bed. 

Ambassador Sokka quickly leaped up as she stepped inside, flushing slightly. She noted the fact he seemed to have just pulled on a shirt and was buckling his pants. The firelord was sitting at his little table as usual, but he was eyeing the water tribe boy with a small smile on his lips. “Your breakfasts...sirs.” She said, bowing and setting the tray down. 

“Thanks Oyuna!” the ambassador grinned as he bounded over and grabbed the food. 

Her face flushed suddenly as he came close and she saw multiple purple bruises decorating his neck and collarbone. He stretched his hands over his head as he sat down and she noted the marks continued down to disappear below his waist band. Quietly, she retreated. The smirk on the guards faces as they saw her embarrassment was enough to let her know that the young man had definitely received the marks last night….in the firelord's bedchambers. 

****

“Alright, Firelord Zuko...I just need to do a few routine checks.” 

Physician Chozan had been looking after the royal family’s health for decades and he continued when the new firelord had taken the place of his father. He had to admit, he enjoyed working with the new firelord much better. He was quiet and good natured, and he sat still while being examined with only the occasional scoff at being told he needed more sleep or a bit of relaxation. After his coronation, the healer Katara had ordered regular check ups on him for the next few months to make sure he was recovering properly from the battle. 

The firelord sat quietly on the wooden physicians table, shirt removed and neatly placed on the chair beside him. Chozan continued his examination, checking the wounds that had still not entirely faded from his chest, and checking the flexibility of his limbs and wrists. He nodded and jotted a few notes down. Overall he was quite pleased with the progress Firelord Zuko had made in healing. However, over the last few weeks he had become concerned. During the previous check ups, he had noticed his patient seemed to start accumulating a lot of bruises and marks. They were all about the same size, and seemed to be randomly spread across his body. Everytime one began to fade, a new one would appear somewhere else. Today was no different than before. He frowned again as he noted the number of purple bruises he saw, then moved around to the back and the frown deepened. The firelord’s back was covered in scratches and red marks going vertically down his skin. He jotted the odd marks down and returned to the front. “Firelord Zuko, are you feeling alright?” He asked, noticing more marks on his knees. 

“Yes perfectly fine, why?” He asked, unaware.

“Have you been feeling faint often?”

The firelord shook his head, looking confused. “No, I’ve been feeling fine.”

“I thought the marks on your knees were from possible collapsation.” He said, gesturing to the firelord’s legs, which were very scrapped up and almost looked like a serious case of rug burn. 

Suddenly the firelord's demeanor changed and he flushed red. “Oh ah...yes...yes I did fall the other day….but I….uh….I just tripped. Nothing serious.” 

Chozan nodded and jotted it down, still slightly confused about how that explained the other bruises or the scratch marks on his back. “And are your robes bothering your skin?” 

“Uh...no? Why?” 

The physician nodded down at the firelord's wrists, which were covered in a red, irritated burn. His face flushed even deeper and he shook his head. “Oh oh….uh….no I just….tripped….” He said weakly. 

_ Tripped? How can you trip and burn rings around your wrists?  _ He thought, confused. However, he decided to let the mysterious marks go. The firelord seemed to not want to discuss them but had assured him they were nothing to worry about, so he let the man go on his way. 

Very odd. He thought, writing up the report for the day. 

****

When the firelord returned from his health check up that day, his guards noted the definite red flush that covered his skin and the scowl that was pasted across his face. He pushed passed the doors to his bedchambers and let it slam behind him, making the guards jump. “Sokka!” They heard him shout from inside. 

The guards exchanged worried looks. Had the other boy finally overstepped? The two had been guarding the firelord's bedchambers during the day for weeks and had noticed the less than formal attitude the watertribe boy treated the firelord with. “Not great!” they heard the firelord shouting again. “The physician wanted to know...how...how I got these…. _ injuries!”  _

The guards frowned now. Injuries? Was the ambassador hurting the firelord in some way? They had noticed a few marks on him, but assumed it was from training. They had known some of the council members were less than pure in their intentions and there remained a few power hungry men lurking about the palace, had ambassador Sokka somehow managed to get control of the firelord and was using force to manipulate him?

Suddenly they heard a wild cackle from the water tribe boy inside. “It's not funny!” the other yelled. 

“Oh what? Come on it's a little funny.” they heard the other boy respond, stifling his laughter. 

“No! Its  _ not!  _ I’m the firelord!! I can’t have….people….people seeing these and thinking….well….” 

“Thinking what? Their all mighty firelord’s been giving aggressive oral sex to one of his ambassadors?” 

“SOKKA!” 

The guards flushed red, suddenly realizing the cause of the marks. “What? It's not my fault! You were practically begging me last night.” they heard the other boy laugh. “You didn’t seem to mind when I had your wrists behind your head.” 

_ Oh god.  _ The guards felt a pang of pity for the night guards who would have had to listen to that….that show. 

“Aww come on, don't be like that.” They heard soft murmurs from inside, and then suddenly the sound of kissing coming from behind the doors. 

“If it makes you feel better, I can return the favor…” They heard the water tribe boy whisper softly. 

This was followed by the sound of a belt being undone and the gentle sound of someone kneeling inside. Both guards were bright red at this point and silently wishing the palace architect had sound proofed all the walls. 

*****

Zai had been guarding the firelord’s bedchambers for decades and he thought nothing could phase him. He had heard Ozai punish the servants with bursts of flames, heard him smash random objects in the room with strings of profanity, and heard plenty of loud moans and shrieks from the courtesans he would entertain at night. However, none of it was quite the same as  _ this _ . 

The first few months of guarding the new firelords chambers had been uneventful. After thorough vetting from his uncle and a few others, Zai had been permitted to return to his post alongside Iyanu, who had guarded Zuko’s chambers when he was just a little prince. 

The first few months consisted of standing, accepting messages when ordered to not disturb the firelord, and unlocking the doors for his meals. Then things began to change when the young ambassador began showing up outside his chambers at night, searching for him. Everynight the young water tribe man, Sokka, as he had introduced himself as, came searching for Firelord Zuko and the guards would point him towards the study. This seemed to cause a frown across the young man's face that got deeper the later he came looking. Finally he had stopped coming all together and they assumed he had either given up, or just started going directly to the study. They noticed a small change after this in the firelord's demeanour as he returned from his work. He looked less tired, and happier every time they knew the ambassador had gone to visit him. 

Then, one night, they saw the firelord appear particularly early at the end of the hallway, the ambassador following close behind. They noticed something different about the boys almost immediately. Both seemed excited, bubbling with happiness. They also had an air of nerves as well as the firelord and his companion pushed through the door, avoiding eye contact with the guards. Zai exchanged a confused look with his partner. They shrugged and waited for the ambassador to leave. However, hours passed and still no sign. Finally, around 5 in the morning, right before their shift changed, the door creaked open and Sokka had slipped out, flushing slightly under the gaze of the guards. 

Ever since that night, it had become common for the firelord to return from his study late at night with the water tribe boy in tow. They would often disappear into the room and not emerge for hours. Sometimes they still had seen no sign of him when their shift was up and had to alert the replacing guards that there was a second presence in the firelord's bedchambers. 

This carried on for a few weeks, and both guards just assumed that possibly the ambassador had been appointed as a personal security detail to the firelord. They knew many people wished to bring harm to him, and Sokka was one of his closest and most trusted companions. It only made sense he would be the one entrusted with the heightened security. That was….until one night in the summer. 

The heat was sweltering and the guards were on edge more than usual. It was around 2 in the morning and the firelord and his companion had retired a bit ago, disappearing into the room. Suddenly they heard a noise from inside the chamber that sounded almost as if someone was in pain and the guards exchanged worried looks. Zai pressed his ear to the door, trying to decipher if it had just been a fluke or if something more sinister was afoot. The noise came again, then followed by a “Shh...the guards will hear!” from the young firelord. 

He furrowed his brow, continuing to listen.  _ Was he in danger? Why didn’t he want the guards to hear?  _

“What? They don’t care. I bet they heard your dad doing this all the time.” The other boy responded, voice low. 

“Ah...ah! I would prefer….n-not to think about  _ that  _ while doing  _ this  _ with you.” the firelord responded. 

Zai’s concern grew more, he sounded in pain. A low laugh came through the door and the ambassador spoke again. “What? Thinking about your dad  _ doesn’t  _ turn you on?” 

He heard a small smack from the room and his face grew red as he suddenly began to connect the dots. He backed away from the door quickly and Iyuna gave him a confused look. 

“Ah...AH SoKKA!” The firelord’s breathy moan came loudly through the door. “St-top….they’ll hear!” He whined. 

“Zuko, baby, I don’t think they care. Besides, what’s going to happen if they do? Afraid they’ll just stop doing their job because they now know their precious firelord likes to take it from the back?” he snorted. 

Iyuna’s face began to flush now too and Zai thought it must be worse for her, what with knowing the firelord since he was a child and all. 

Ever since that night his job had definitely gotten more uncomfortable. The firelord and his young lover seemed to have a very….active sex life. About three or four times a week they had to endure hearing the two get busy with each other and it was very unlike anything he had had to endure with Ozai. 

The disgraced tyrant almost never slept with the same person twice, and exclusively stuck to paid courtesans. They would come to his room at night, put on a short performance full of over the top fake moans and praises, then leave shortly after. It was pure emotionless sex. But this...this was different, and much worse. It felt so personal, listening to the two discovering sex together, listening to their whispers and chats afterwards. However, it was the job of the guards to sit vigilant and try and ignore any private encounters, so he did his best to try and tune out the noises and moans. 

Unfortunately, that was difficult, and the guards learned a  _ lot  _ about their leaders sexual preferences. More than either of them ever wanted to know. They learned that Firelord Zuko was much more submissive than his partner and often sounded like he was tied up, or at least being restrained. The other seemed to enjoy making him beg for whatever he wanted, eliciting breathy moans and requests from him. However, it was almost worse the nights the roles were reversed and the firelord seemed to be in control. Ambassador Sokka was….not quiet. To say the least. He was much louder than his partner and the Firelord seemed to enjoy this, if the frequent requests of “talk to me Sokka” were anything to go off of. 

The extent of their roleplaying almost made Zai nervous a few times, as he wasn’t sure sometimes if the noises coming from the room were pleasure, pain, or both. He began to worry the young ambassador was taking advantage of a young, vulnerable leader. However, one particularly uncomfortable night dashed his worries away. 

They stood outside the bed chambers, bracing themselves through what had been about 20 minutes of foreplay. The young firelord seemed to be feeling particularly submissive tonight, much to their dismay. This meant much louder sex and a lot stronger begging. 

“Beg for it bitch.” He heard the ambassador groan, followed by the sound of skin on skin contact. 

“Sokka...Sokka please….” 

“Please what?” 

“I want you…. I need you...please fuck me.” The firelord whined. 

“Not until you earn it.” The other one hissed, causing the firelord to let out a particularly loud moan. 

He saw Iyuna stifle her laughter from the corner of his eye and he had to do the same. It was strange hearing anyone talk to the firelord like that. Even stranger to imagine Zuko, always so regal and put together, in such compromising and powerless positions. 

“Ahh fuck….uh so good Sokka…..ah...ah AH!” He suddenly heard a sharp tone shift in the firelord’s voice as it went from pleasure to pain quickly and worry bubbled inside him.

“Zuko are you okay?” The domineering tone from the water tribe boy vanished and was replaced by one full of concern. 

“Ah...yeah, ow….sorry…” 

“Did I push you too far?”

  
“No, I just hurt this leg in training today. I thought it was healed but I guess it's still a little sore.” 

Zai heard the sound of movement on the bed and bodies turning about. “Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have done  _ that  _ if I had known.” 

“I didn’t want you to worry.” The firelord’s voice was quiet, almost shy. 

His lover gave a quiet, sarcastic snort of laughter. “Well now I’m worried because you didn’t tell me. Great job your lordship.”

He heard some low murmurs that were too hard to decipher and then the sound of slow, gentle kissing. “You can keep going.” He heard the firelord whisper. 

“Are you sure?” 

There must have been a nod because a few seconds later the sound of bodies moving again came. 

“Okay but this time, we’re doing it gently. Can’t have your trainer coming for my head because the firelord’s too sore from amazing, passionate, wild sex to practice.” 

He heard the firelord snort with laughter. “Someone thinks highly of himself.” 

“But can you deny it?” 

The rest of the night was full of gentle, more sensual moaning and whispers of “feeling good?” or “ah right there baby.” 

Honestly, Zai thought he preferred the tantric sex noises over this. The next morning, Oyuna appeared at the top of the stairs carrying the breakfast trays. The kitchen staff had stopped asking if the firelord wanted one or two trays and just started bringing the ambassador a tray every morning. He heard her utter a shocked noise when she opened the door this time, and Zai peaked over his shoulder to see what she had jumped at, and laughed silently. 

The two boys, who usually were at least sitting by the tables in the morning, were still in bed. The firelord was laying on his side, black hair flowing over the silk pillows, shirt and pants still laying discarded on the floor next to the bed. The ambassador lay wrapped around him, one arm curled around his waist and the other wrapped under his body, pulling him close. A bottle of massage oil was thrown carelessly on the floor and the two boys looked exhausted; happy, but exhausted nonetheless. If how late they were up last night, whispering love confessions and exchanging caring touches was any indication he could imagine they were pretty tired. 

“Ah thank you Oyuna. Could you actually put the tray over here?” The firelord asked, sitting up and motioning to the table beside his bed. 

The other boy whined slightly at the loss of contact and scrambled up to a sitting position, slipping underneath the firelord's arm and pressing his head against his lover's chest. He heard the other laugh gently and roll his eyes. “You’re pathetic.” he chuckled. 

“Mhmmm too tired...to lift….arm….must….eat….food.” He heard the other say in a humorous manner. 

He watched out of the corner of his eye as the firelord laughed and grabbed a piece of toast from the breakfast tray, feeding it to his partner who smiled happily against his chest. “Are those fire sausages or regular sausages?” he heard the water tribe boy ask. 

“Sokka I’m not going to feed you your breakfast!” He heard the other say in an exasperated sigh. 

“Why noooot! I took care of you last nighttttt. I don’t wanna get up.” The other whined. 

The flush on Oyuna’s cheeks as she exited the room indicated the firelord had given into his lover and continued to feed him breakfast in bed. 

He chuckled to himself. If she was embarrassed by the other licking their leaders fingers of butter she would definitely not survive hearing him flipped on his back begging to be fucked into oblivion. 

****

After the one year anniversary ball for the Firelord’s coronation, the couple seemed to become less guarded in their affections. They made less of an attempt to hide the casual touches and affections from the staff, and would even stroll in the garden hand in hand most nights. Of course, around the rest of the council members they were much more guarded. But during the nights when everyone had returned to their own homes, they relaxed. 

A few months after that, the royal architect and decorator was called to the palace and renovation began on the firelord’s royal chambers. Swaths of blue were added and various decorations from the water tribe hung on a few of the walls. The ambassador’s trunks were brought from his guest rooms and moved into the chambers. 

Over the next few years, the young man became a staple in the palace. He was often seen roaming around with the firelord, or searching for his partner on the nights when Zuko would disappear into some meeting or something. Their friends from the other tribes visited more often and a few times a year, when the firelord was particularly ragged looking they would disappear for a few days to ember island. 

Zai smiled as he thought about what a difference the boy had brought to the palace. The staff were all much more comfortable with the firelord, the fear and terror Ozai had instilled almost completely gone. Sokka was much more friendly with the staff than any other royal ever had been, and knew almost all of them by name. In fact, he would often stop and chat to the guards as he returned to their room at night and ask about their families, their lives, and sometimes asked Oyuna to bring the guards food along with their own meals. 

He and the kitchen staff became fast friends as well, and oftentimes when Firelord Zuko was called off early in the morning for a meeting, he would ask Oyuna to stay and have breakfast with him, babbling about some adventure his sister and the avatar had been on, or what Toph and her metal bending academy were up to. Practically everyone on the staff had received a pay increase, and oftentimes when they fell ill Sokka would insist they take a few days off. “His royal flaminess can survive a few days without his shoe shiner.” He had joked, sending the man off for a week with pay. 

Yes, the staff very much enjoyed having the young water tribe member in the palace, which is why when it was announced the two men would be married, the celebrations throughout the palace among the servants was tumultuous. 


	2. The Sequel: Sokka & Zuko's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter but from the boys perspective.

It had been a few months since the end of the war and Zuko was barely settling into his role as firelord. The scars, both mental and physical, were just beginning to heal. The gang had dispersed a few weeks after the battle, Katara and Aang heading out to do avatar duties, Suki back to Kyoshi, and Toph off to Ba Sing Se. Sokka had stayed here, in the fire nation. He had asked him a few days after everyone left why he had chosen to stay and Sokka just shrugged, mumbling an answer about not wanting to go camping again in a million years or wanting to try new foods here. However, Zuko suspected the real reason was that Sokka was afraid. Afraid of what the world would be like now, afraid of being without his sister and friends, and afraid of leaving Zuko alone in a country full of people who had been cheering his death only a few weeks ago. 

To tell the truth, Zuko was happy he had stayed, because he was afraid too. Afraid of his new responsibilities, afraid of becoming too much like his father, and afraid his new friends would move on and forget him. Having Sokka with him made everything feel like it was going to be okay. So that’s why he decided to appoint him ambassador of the water tribe. Partly because he knew Sokka would do an amazing job in the role, but also for a bit of a selfish reason. Even if his friend decided to go home, back to the water tribe, he would still have to come see Zuko every once in a while. And every once in a while was enough for him if it had to be. As long as he got to see Sokka, that’s all he cared about. 

So he became elated when months began to pass and Sokka remained steadfast at his side. They went to meetings together, they often dined together or trained. It was nice to have a friend for a bit. But then things got hard. The real work had begun and Iroh had left back to Ba Sing Se, leaving Zuko all alone to face his firelord duties. He began shutting himself away, working late nights in his study and getting up early to try and get a jump start on the never ending requests that were thrown at him. 

It was one of these mornings when he was so engrossed in his work he called down to the kitchen for breakfast instead of going down to eat. The girl knocked on his door a little while later. “Enter.” he called, not looking up. 

He heard the door open and shut, followed by the lightly patter of footsteps and the clatter of a tray being placed on a nearby table. “Thank you.” He said tiredly, glancing up for a second. 

He saw her watching him, a curious expression on her face, and his stomach pitched. He quickly looked back down at his work and tried to drive the thoughts from his head. The thoughts that his staff hated him, that he was slowly turning into Ozai under this mountain of work, and the thoughts that he would one day go insane from the responsibility of being firelord. He buried himself back in his work and didn’t look up until he heard another loud knock on his door about an hour later. “Enter.” He called again, thinking it was the girl coming back for the tray. 

“Is his lordship too regal to take dinner with his friend?” he heard a delightfully familiar and sarcastic voice enter his chambers and the knot in his stomach dissolved. 

“Sokka, I’m busy!” He said, glaring up at his friend. 

In all honesty, the glare was purely performative. He was secretly overjoyed at the interruption. Sokka grinned and flopped down on the couch nearby, snagging some food off Zuko’s untouched platter. “What’s on the agenda today then?” He asked, crumbs falling from his mouth. 

“Meetings all day. I have one with the northern water tribe later if you want to join.” He said casually, trying to ignore the way his friend kicked his fingers clean; pink tongue caressing each one, cleaning them of butter and crumbs. 

“Boring meetings it is.” He sighed, closing his eyes. 

Zuko rolled his eyes and looked back at his work with a warm feeling spreading through his chest. 

*****

As the seasons changed and the weather got warmer, Zuko started spending more and more time in his study at night. The summer had brought all new problems. A drought in the earth kingdom caused a trading blockage, a festival for avatar Roku needed budgeting and there were still reparations to be made around the world from the war. Slowly he began to see less and less of Sokka and his moods became worse and worse.

It was one of these nights, around 1 in the morning, that he looked up from his work frowning. The guards, who normally stood silently outside his door, were talking to someone. A moment later a sharp knock came at his door, then another string of talking. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice yell through the thick wood “Hey Hotman! Open up!” 

Zuko felt his heart swell with joy upon hearing that voice. The voice he didn’t realize he had been longing to hear all week, the voice he had been missing more than anything in the world, the voice that made all this work not seem so scary. He got up and moved to the door, dawning a performative ticked off look. “What Sokka?” He huffed, trying his best to act annoyed. 

“ You’ve been holed up in here for like...six nights in a row! Come on, come have dinner with me.” He begged. 

Zuko shook his head. “I can’t. I have to deal with this trade embargo before tomorrow’s meeting.”

“Fiiiinne Mr. Important. Then I’m coming in.” 

“Wha-” 

Before he could answer Sokka pushed past him into the study and flopped down in a big red chair. “You’re annoying.” Zuko said quietly, shutting the door. 

“Someone has to take up the job.” he said casually, looking around at all the stacks of books and scrolls. 

“So this is where the magic happens.” He said, stretching out. 

Zuko rolled his eyes and went back to his desk, ignoring the pull in his stomach as he saw a swatch of tan skin poking out from under Sokka’s shirt as he raised his arms. “More like where the magic doesn’t happen. I can’t figure out a plan for this stupid drought.” He let his head fall into his hands, defeated. 

Sokka cocked his head, then stood up and came closer. “Sounds like a job for the plan guy!” he said, leaning over the desk. 

Zuko’s stomach did a flip when he caught that familiar scent of ocean breeze and musk that someone seemed to cling to Sokka’s skin, even after being in the fire nation for months. And so they spent the night in the study, Sokka leaned over working out the logistics of the trading routes and Zuko reveling in the fact he had someone there to help in. In what felt like forever a weight had been lifted slightly from his shoulders. The world seemed slightly less bleak than before. 

****

Over the next few months the two became inseparable. Sokka remained glued to Zuko’s side and followed him everywhere he went, trying his best to lighten his mood with a joke or two. He managed to squeeze a few laughs out of him and ignored the servants glances and puzzled looks upon his lack of formalities with his friend. Every once in a while Zuko would go through a rough patch and lock himself in his study, not even allowing Sokka to join him. 

It was a night like this that Sokka hatched a plan. Zuko had been looking worse for wear all week and this was the sixth night in a row he had waved a haphazard goodnight to Sokka and trudged upstairs to his study alone. So Sokka made his way down to the kitchens; a place he was very accustomed to now. “Evening Oyuna!” He called, entering as the girl was retrieving a tray for the Firelord’s supper. 

“Uh...oh….good evening, ambassador Sokka.” She said, bowing, seemingly a little caught off guard. 

“Oh uh...right.” He said, giving an awkward bow. He always forgot how formal everything was here. “Is that for Z-the firelord?” He asked, eyeing the tray. 

“Yes. He requested dinner in his study tonight.” 

Sokka rolled his eyes. “Can you take it to the gardens and set up a table there please instead?” He asked, eyes wide. 

“Uh….I'm not sure if I should…” She stuttered nervously, probably nervous about disobeying an order from the firelord. Ozai would have probably had her head for that but he had a feeling Zuko wouldn’t even blink twice. 

“Oh come on! He’s been eating dinner in his study every night for like a month! His flaminess needs some fresh air.” 

She seemed caught off guard by him addressing the Firelord as “his flaminess” but agreed nonetheless. As she left to bring the table and the food out to the gardens, he went in search of the firelord. 

The guards outside Zuko’s study were no longer phased by Sokka’s presence. Most nights he came in search of his friend and would stay anywhere between a few hours and a few minutes in the place. “Sokka, I'm too busy tonight.” Zuko whined, gesturing to the stacks of papers about his desk. 

“Come onnnn. You’ve been up here all week. Can’t you spare  _ one  _ night for dinner with me?” He begged. He hated to admit it but he desperately missed his friend. The fire nation was great and all, but he still felt a little lost there, like he didn’t belong. The dining hall was way too formal and scary for him to eat there all on his own, so he usually opted for the kitchens. However, even there he felt a little out of place. The servants always giggled and whispered behind his back, making him slightly on edge. The only time he felt truly at peace there was with Zuko. 

Finally his friend sighed and his shoulders relaxed in a defeated posture. “Fine. Just a short dinner.” 

Sokka beamed and grabbed his hand, practically running out of the study. He dragged Zuko down the palace stairs and out into the garden, ignoring the annoyed look on his friends face as they went. When they got into the garden, Sokka proudly presented the table to Zuko. “Tada!” he said, beaming. 

Zuko looked at it with raised eyebrows and Sokka felt the guards and the kitchen maid tense, probably expecting a burst of anger or something. Instead Zuko just laughed and shook his head. “You’re a dork.” he said smiling. 

The two sat down and began to chat and eat. It was nice to spend time with Zuko again. They talked about work for a bit, all the things Zuko had to do that week and how Sokka’s duties as ambassador were going. They talked about their friends, and Sokka relayed the tales his sister told him in her letters. Zuko looked relieved when he told him how Aang asks about him almost every day and even laughed a bit when he regaled him with a particularly ridiculous story of Katara falling off Appa. “What about Suki?” Zuko asked casually, stabbing a leek onto his fork. 

Sokka felt his stomach do a flip and not in a good way, like when he made Zuko laugh at one of his dumb jokes. For some reason he never felt comfortable talking about his relationship with his friend. “Uh….we...broke up.” He said after a moment. 

Zuko looked up, concerned. “Why? I thought you two were so happy together.” 

Sokka shrugged. “She got busy with the warriors, I was busy here, the distance thing just didn’t really work.” 

Zuko frowned. “You...you know you can go there...if you want. For a bit that is.” 

Something in his voice sounded like he really did not want Sokka to go. 

“No no, I want to be here.” Sokka said, giving him a reassuring smile. 

Zuko looked relieved and the conversation wandered on to what they were going to do for training tomorrow and the lovely weather they had had that week. After they finished eating and the dishes were cleared, Sokka realized he wasn’t ready to let his friend go back to hide in his study. He had missed Zuko so much that week and all he wanted was to spend a little more time in his company. “Come for a walk with me?” He asked.

Zuko frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sokka….I have a lot to do.” 

“Please Zuko. Just a little stroll? I’ve barely seen you all week. Come on, don’t tell me with all your fancy carrying houses his flaminess has forgotten how to walk.” He said dryly, trying to cover up how desperately he wanted him to say yes. 

This seemed to gode him into agreement and the two set off around the gardens. 

“I suppose I have been a little distant recently.” Zuko said as they walked about, weaving between the flower banks and the bushes. 

“A little?” Sokka snorted. “Hell I half expect you to come bursting into my office with your little ponytail crying about your honor half the nights you’re up there. Like the last few months were all a dream.” 

Zuko scowled at the mention of his past but gave a reluctant smile when Sokka elbowed him in the ribs. “Why won’t you let me work with you?” Sokka asked quietly. 

Zuko sighed and a look of concern crossed his face. “It's not your job, I don’t want to keep you up worried about all this stuff. You didn’t sign up for it.” 

“Neither did you.” Sokka pointed out, shrugging. “Besides, I like your study. It may be big and full of red and fire but at least you’re there.” He wasn’t sure why saying this made him flush slightly. 

Zuko seemed to share the emotion as his cheeks turned slightly pink as well. “Well...I suppose….you could join me, if you wanted to.”   
  


“Alright its a deal. Sokka, ambassador, personal assistant to his majesty the firelord.” Sokka said, gesticulating wildly and dramatically to match his over the top phrases. 

Zuko rolled his eyes at his friend and they continued around the gardens for a bit until he grew tired and reluctantly retired to bed. 

*****

The next few weeks found Sokka holed up in the firelord’s private study alongside Zuko most nights. Sokka began bringing his dinner up there after he finished his work for the day and would often stay all night. Sometimes he helped Zuko with his work, or other times he just relaxed, writing letters to his dad or sister and occasionally providing an encouraging word for his friend or a quick pat on the back to wake him up. 

It was a night such as this one where Sokka had a larger than usual workload. In his haste to get up to Zuko at his normal time, he forgot to go to the kitchens and skipped dinner, which he was now regretting. Zuko was seated at his desk as usual and Sokka was draped across the couch in front of the fire, trying to ignore his stomach rumbles. “Sokka, did you want to go get a snack?” Zuko said, a hint of annoyance in his voice as Sokka’s stomach made a particularly loud noise. 

He shook his head. “Im fineeeee. Besides, I’m comfy here. The laziness of not wanting to get up is currently overpowering the hunger part of my brain.” 

Zuko snorted and went back to his work. “Those are the only two parts in there.” He muttered, earning a glare from Sokka. 

A few minutes later his stomach rumbled again and Zuko set his pen down, sighing again. “How about I just order you dinner here.” 

Sokka looked up, hesitantly. “You….you can do that?” 

Zuko shrugged. “I mean, i can order my own dinner here. I don’t see why they can’t send up two.” 

Sokka nodded and leaned his head back on the couch. Zuko stood up and went to his door, cracking it open slightly. “Could you please have the kitchen send up two dinners tonight? One for me and one for Ambassador Sokka?” 

The guard nodded and Sokka caught a sly smile across his lips as the door swung shut that made his stomach lurch. He was pretty sure the staff were holding a greater and greater distaste for him the more he led the firelord away from convention. But he didn’t care. As long as he had Zuko everything would be okay. He sighed and pulled his wolfstail out, letting his hair fall about his ears. “Headache?” Zuko asked quietly, eyeing him with an unidentifiable look. 

Sokka nodded and rubbed his head, frowning. “Come here” Zuko said, getting up and moving to one of the armchairs. 

Sokka bounced to his feet and went to sit in front of his friend, pressing up against his leg. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to get lost in the feeling of Zuko’s hands running through his hair. They did this every once in a while, the quiet touches, the soft unspoken affections passing between them. Sokka knew it was different….not something he would do with anyone but Zuko...but he ignored that prick in the back of his mind that told him this was anything more than platonic. He remembered when they had gotten back from that horrible play, almost a year ago now. He had noticed how upset Zuko had been by it, and later that night he snuck into Zuko’s room. The two had laid together, wrapped up in each other's arms and wrapped in the silence of the island. It had been nice to feel comforted by each other, if even just for a moment. 

After a few more minutes there came a gentle tap on the door, one Sokka had come to associate with Oyuna, the kitchen maid. “Enter.” Zuko called softly, not removing his hand from Sokka’s hair. 

The door opened and in stepped the girl, carrying a large dinner tray. Sokka noted the small look of shock on her face as she saw the great and powerful firelord, affectionately carding his fingers through the brown sea of Sokka’s hair. “Thanks Oyuna!” he said, smiling. 

She nodded and fussed about the tray for another second, arranging the silverware or something. “When are you going to sleep?” He whined, letting his head fall backwards to look at Zuko upside down. 

“I told you you can go to sleep whenever.” Zuko said, frowning at him. 

““I'm not going to sleep until you do. Someone has to make sure you actually do and I’m the only one brave enough to stand up to the big scary firelord.” 

Zuko just rolled his eyes and pushed his head up. “You’re an idiot.” He muttered as Oyuna slipped out the door. 

Sokka grinned and pressed his nose into the interior of his leg, closing his eyes as Zuko continued the ministrations on his hair. 

***

The next few weeks those touches became more common and more frequent. They tried their best to keep them out of sight of the staff, but every once in a while when Oyuna brought their food, they would forget. Sokka noted she was becoming more and more used to seeing the two boys sitting close together. It had become a regular occurrence. Sokka had taken to having dinner sent up to Zuko’s study every night and would often accompany him everywhere he went. 

He didn’t know how to explain it, but anytime he was away from his friend he felt like his heart would explode. He couldn’t focus, and all he wanted to do was find Zuko and see what he was doing, to be close to him and to inhale his intoxicating scent of campfire and cinnamon. Then it hit him. It hit him all at once like an avalanche rushing down a mountain side.  _ He was in love with Zuko.  _

The realization came one night as he made his way up to Zuko’s study. It had been a particularly rough day, Zuko had almost gotten into a screaming match during a council meeting and Sokka had been worried he was going to deck the old man in the face. He knew this week was particularly hard for him in general as the anniversary of his mothers disappearance was coming up soon, and he vowed to try and make Zuko take a break tonight. 

He was exhausted. The repercussions of the day had trickled down to him as well and he had spent what felt like ages pouring over documents and small cramped handwriting. All he wanted was to see Zuko, to press against him and to feel his hands comforting against his skin. He trudged past the kitchens on his way to the chambers and heard a few of the younger maids whispering and paused to listen in. 

“Do you think he’s going to see the firelord?” One whispered, unaware Sokka could hear them. 

“Obviously. Have you seen how they look at each other? They’re so in love. It's so cute.” The other one giggled and he heard the scrapping of plates in the distance, but his ears had gone deaf as the palace swirled around him. 

_ In love…. _ He had never thought about this before. Of course he loved Zuko, he loved his kind nature, his hard worker spirit, and the way his black hair would fall against his shoulders when he removed his crown. He loved the way he smelled and the way he felt whenever he was nearby, like a thousand little butterflies were doing acrobatics in his stomach and - holy shit. He  _ was  _ in love. He was so hopelessly, desperately, and undeniably in love with his best friend. The realization came crashing down on him like an ice cold wave and suddenly he felt an extreme sense of urgency to get to Zuko. He raced up the stairs and barely waved at the guards when he pushed through the door to the study. As it swung shut behind him, his stomach did a flip. There was Zuko, sitting as usual at his desk, hand wrapped gracefully around a quil scratching out a letter or something. He had already removed his crown for the day and his hair fell softly against his pale skin. The firelight cast a golden red hue against his amber eyes and everything around him just looked  _ soft.  _

“Sokka?” Zuko’s voice was gruff, like he hadn’t been sleeping recently and Sokka spied an uneaten lunch tray behind his desk. 

Sokka realized he had just been standing there wordlessly, starring, and he shook himself back to reality. “Uh….hi.” He said quietly. 

He had never been good at keeping his feelings inside. As soon as he felt something, he wanted to tell them. He had been that way with Yue, and the same with Suki. The only reason he hadn’t said anything to Zuko so far was because he hadn’t even realized himself he was falling in love. But now he knew, and he felt like he couldn’t control his emotions from bubbling up if he tried. “I already sent for dinner.” He said casually, looking back to his work. 

His shoulders were hunched and full of tension. Sokka frowned and walked over to his desk. “Zuko….how long have you been here?” 

His friend shrugged. “A few hours maybe, why?” 

“Maybe you should take a break tonight.” He suggested gently, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder. 

Zuko shook his head and brushed away the hand. “No, I need to keep working.” 

“Zuko, you need to take care of yourself. You can’t just keep working yourself to the bone like this.”

Zuko frowned and Sokka sensed a spark of anger flare up. “Well what do you want me to do Sokka? Just abandon my country?” His temper was rising and so was his voice. 

“No...i don't mean...Zuko….just...let someone else worry about it for a day.” 

“This is my job, Sokka!” he shouted, standing up and running his hands through his hair in frustration. 

“And this is my job idiot! I care about you!” He shouted back, blocking Zuko’s escape path. 

“Your job is to be the ambassador.” Zuko glared at him. 

“My  _ job  _ is to make sure you’re not doing….well... _ this!”  _ Sokka responded desperately. “I love you and I can't just sit and watch you ruin yourself.” 

There was a quiet pause, and the anger in Zuko’s face seemed to die down. “You….you love me?” He asked quietly. 

Sokka felt his stomach do another flip and he wasn’t sure what to say. “Yes….of course I love you.” 

Zuko stared at him for a moment, then smiled. “I…..I love you too.” 

Sokka blushed and looked down. Suddenly he felt the warmth radiating off Zuko grow stronger and he looked up to see that they were face to face. Zuko’s hand slipped under his chin and brought Sokka’s eyeline up to his own. He wasn’t sure what made him do it, the firelight, the quiet patter of rain outside the window, or maybe it was just that once Sokka figured out he was in love, he was absolutely shit at hiding it. Nevertheless, something made him lean forward and press his lips against Zuko’s. 

As their mouths touched it felt like a hundred fireworks had exploded in his heart and the embers now coursed through his veins. Zuko pulled him close, lips moving softly against his own. Suddenly there came a knock on the door and the two jumped apart, looking flushed. “Enter.” Zuko called quietly. 

Oyuna stepped in as usual but then stopped, eyes flitting quickly between the two boys. “Thanks Oyuna.” Sokka said, but his voice was slightly strained. 

Zuko nodded at her and turned back to face Sokka, gazing into his eyes. They heard her quickly retreat and when the door clicked shut again, Zuko leaned in and captured his lips once more. 

****

The next few weeks were pure bliss. Sokka had continued coming to Zuko’s study late at night and staying as long as he did, but instead of returning to his own room he would trail after the firelord to his chambers. Sokka ignored the curious looks of the guards as he dipped into Zuko’s bed chambers at night but forgot about them the instant Zuko’s lips were on his. They kept their relationship secret, even from the staff. Zuko was still unsure of how it would be received and the effects it would have in the palace, and all Sokka cared about was being with him. 

There were a few times when they were almost caught in the beginning. Especially one evening when Zuko had been particularly stressed, Sokka had slipped into his lap, straddling his hips with his knees and began kissing and sucking down his neck. This was something he found rather effective when de-stressing the great and powerful firelord. Suddenly there had been a knock on the door and Oyuna had entered with the tray right as Sokka jumped up. 

They spent the nights laying in his ridiculously large bed, whispering declarations of love and exchanging soft, sensual kisses and touches. Those touches often descended into something more salacious and soon they were delving into the previously uncharted territory of sexual pleasure. They remained quiet most nights, trying to keep their voices down so as to not alert the guards with their promiscuity. However Sokka longed to let go, to coax louder, more primal noises from his lover. Most times he would get up early, before breakfast arrived and slip out sheepishly while the night guards were still there and creep back to his room. However a few weeks into their relationship, as they lay in bed together early in the morning after a particularly passionate night, Zuko suggested something different. 

“Stay for breakfast?” He asked quietly, running his fingers along Sokka’s bare collarbone, admiring his work from the night before. 

Sokka sighed and pressed his face against him. “Are you sure? The servants wont...wont talk?” 

“Oh they’ll talk.” Zuko said grimly. He hated living in a world where his every move was watched like a hawk. “But I don’t care….do you?” 

Sokka shook his head vigorously. “Not if you don’t.” 

“Good. Then you’ll stay for breakfast.” Zuko said, kissing his lips and dragging himself out of bed. 

The sun had already risen and it was already quite late. Zuko pulled on his royal robes and shuffled to the door. “Firelord Zuko, should I ring for breakfast?” He heard the guard's hesitant question from the doorway and smirked. 

They no doubt were taking bets about if the ambassador had bedded the firelord last night. “Uh yes, send two.” Zuko said, and when he returned Sokka noted a slight flush on his cheeks. 

Zuko sat down at his little table and began planning his day. Sokka relaxed back into the comfort of the firelord bed, relishing the feel of the red silk sheets against his bare skin. A while later he heard a knock on the door and Oyuna entered. Sokka leaped up, pulling on his shirt and pants quickly before she noticed but he was too late in buckling his belt. He felt her eyes linger on the fumbling motion and he flushed red. “Your breakfasts….sirs.” She said, holding back a smile and placing the tray down. 

“Thanks Oyuna!” He said, bounding over to grab some food. 

He felt another flush come on when he saw her eyes glance up at his chest and he looked down to see purple bruises from last night peppered across his skin. She nodded and walked out of the chambers and he heard the guards stifling a laugh. 

***

“Alright, Firelord Zuko...I just need to do a few routine checks.”

Zuko was sitting on the wooden physicians table, dangling his legs casually with his shirt removed and neatly placed on the chair behind him. It was customary that the Firelord received health checks from the physician on a regular basis, but after the war and being struck by Azula’s lightning, Katara had ordered weekly check ups until his scars had completely healed. 

Chozan made his way around Zuko, jotting in his notepad like he always did. He noticed the physician frown a little when he reached his back but thought nothing of it. The man was always grumpy. Frankly if he had to see his father shirtless and examine him for so many years he would be grumpy too. “Firelord Zuko, are you feeling alright?” Chozan asked, returning to the front and frowning. 

“Yes perfectly fine, why?” Zuko responded. It was true, he was feeling pretty good today, especially after last night…..

“Have you been feeling faint often?” The physician asked. 

Zuko shook his head, confused. “No, I’ve been feeling fine.” 

“I thought the marks on your knees were from possible collapsation.” He said, gesturing to the firelord’s legs, which were very scrapped up and had a serious case of rugburn. 

Zuko hadn’t noticed the marks until now. He had been so exhausted after last night he just got up and rushed out the door this morning. He flushed dark red, suddenly becoming very nervous. Oh ah...yes...yes I did fall the other day….but I….uh….I just tripped. Nothing serious.” 

Chozan nodded and jotted down a few notes. “And are your robes bothering your skin?” 

“Uh...no? Why?” Zuko asked, a little on edge. 

Chozan nodded down at his wrists and Zuko followed his gaze, blushing even more. Around his wrists were rings of red rope burn.  _ Fuck fuck fuckkkk.  _ He thought to himself. He thought of last night, the way Sokka had tied his wrists to the headboard and made him quietly beg to be fucked.  _ How the hell am I going to explain this?  _ “Oh oh….uh….no I just….tripped….” He said weakly.

The physician nodded again, looking unconvinced. After a few more notes he let Zuko dawn his firelord robes again and leave the room.  _ I am going to KILL Sokka.  _ He thought, storming towards his chambers. 

He knew Sokka was still where he left him this morning. He didn’t have any meetings today and told Zuko he was going to wait in his chambers for him when he was done with his physical. “Sokka!” Zuko shouted as he slammed the door to his room. 

Sokka looked up at him from the bed. “Hey baby! How’d the physician go?” 

“Not great!” He shouted. ““The physician wanted to know...how...how I got these…. injuries!” He said, gesturing wildly to his wrists. 

Sokka stared at him for a second then let out a wild cackle. 

“It's not funny!” he yelled, blushing furiously.

“Oh what? Come on it's a little funny.” Sokka said, trying to stifle his laughter. 

“No! It's not! I’m the firelord!! I can’t have….people….people seeing these and thinking….well….” 

“Thinking what? Their all mighty firelord’s been giving aggressive oral sex to one of his ambassadors?” 

“SOKKA!” It  _ was  _ true though. That's how he had ended up with rug burn all over his knees. His stomach jolted when he thought of last night, kneeling on the floor beside the bed, looking up at Sokka as he….

“What? It's not my fault! You were practically begging me last night.” Sokka’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “You didn’t seem to mind when I had your wrists behind your head.”

Zuko’s face turned even darker red and he threw his head into his hands. He couldn’t even imagine what the guards were thinking of this conversation. “Aww come on, don't be like that.” Sokka said gently, moving towards him and wrapping his arms around his waist. “If it makes you feel better, I can return the favor…” he whispered. 

Zuko’s stomach flipped again and he allowed Sokka to pry his hands from his face. The latter slowly began to kiss him, hands trailing down to his belt and working the buckle free. After a few more seconds Sokka kneeled down in front of him and gently peeled back his clothes. Zuko let his hands run through his lover's hair and grip tightly in the brown locks, mind completely forgotten about the guards right outside. 

****

It was the height of summer in July and the heat was sweltering. Zuko had been looking particularly haggard that evening as they retired back to his room. “It's the heat.” he said, collapsing onto the bed as he pulled his outer robes off. 

“Aren’t fire nation people supposed to like the heat.” Sokka snorted, discarding his own robes as well and flopping down on to the couch. 

“We do, but this is a particularly humid heat, we’re used to it being a lot drier.” He responded, now loosening his undergarments. 

Sokka snorted again. “I think it’s just that he’s an ass.” 

They were still discussing a particularly unfavorable councilman from earlier in the day who had been quite aggressive in disagreeing with Zuko’s trading policy plan that was to be set into motion next month. Zuko sighed, managing to claw off his shirt and tossed it to the ground, chest glistening with sweat. 

This piqued Sokka’s interest and he smirked slightly. “You look tense.” He said, standing up and making his way to the bed, sitting down beside him. 

“I’m worried. I feel like we’ve been getting more resistance from certain councilmen recently and I don’t know what that means. Ozai sympathizers are everywhere still and some are very likely in these walls.” He frowned more at this and began rubbing his neck harder. “I don’t know how to work out a compromise that's good for the people but doesn’t cause another civil war….maybe if I-”

“Just stop, for one moment, stop worrying about everything else.” Sokka whispered, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. 

“I can’t stop Sokka….I can’t-”

“Just for tonight?” Sokka had moved behind him and began rubbing his shoulders. “Just….can it just be you tonight? Not...firelord zuko just….zuko?” 

Zuko bit his lip. It was difficult for him to separate himself from the title when it held so much responsibility and power. He felt eyes on him everywhere he went and everyone who talked to him wanted  _ something.  _ They wanted a policy change or a promise to help their farms or their financial gain, but Sokka only wanted  _ him.  _ And that was difficult for him to comprehend. “You’re getting lost in your head.” Sokka muttered, pulling a strand of sweat slicked hair away from his face. 

Zuko leaned back into the warm hands working on his shoulders, closing his eyes. “It's hard not too.” He whispered. 

“I know, but…..maybe I could distract you?” He whispered back, pressing a kiss to the tender skin below his ear. 

“Hmmm” Zuko made a non committal noise. 

He knew first hand that Sokka was very skilled in distracting him. He took a deep breath in, taking in the hot night air and the smell of the grass outside and the natural scent of the man behind him, then let his shoulders relax into the touch. “If you must.” He said, a smile quirked on his lips. 

“Hmm I must.” Sokka laughed, pressing more kisses against the back of his neck.

Gently the other pushed against him, sending the firelord down on his back against the silky red sheets of the large bed. Sokka’s legs swung over to nestle himself against his waist, hands moving up his chest and down his shoulders. Zuko breathed out again, trying to fight the feeling of total surrender that was coursing through his body. It had been a few days since they had been intimate with each other, and even then Zuko was always restrained, knowing there were always people around him, watching….listening...but the heat was getting to him. The heat of the night air sunk below his skin and infiltrated his blood. Sokka ran his hands once more over his torso and traced the edge of his waistband. “I’m going to make you forget all about those councilmen idiots.” He whispered, fingers hooking around the red cloth. 

“Don’t mention the council when you’re taking off my pants.” Zuko snorted, but a second later he threw his head back as Sokka bent down to run his tongue along his exposed stomach. 

A few moments later he felt the clothes being torn off him and the feeling of cotton against skin was replaced with a warmer feeling of skin against skin. He opened his eyes and looked down at Sokka, who had also removed his clothes. The other man gently moved his lips across the crease of his hip and shuffled down to press them against his inner thigh, eliciting a soft moan from Zuko. “Distracted yet?” The water tribe boy whispered, running his tongue up and around the base of his dick. 

“Ah fuck-” Zuko hissed, throwing an arm over his face to muffle the moans as Sokka took him in his mouth. 

A second later however the mouth disappeared and he felt the arm over his face being pulled away. “Come on, don’t be like that.” Sokka whispered, facing hovering over his once more. 

“S-sokka…” he stuttered as the other one gripped him loosely, moving his hand up and down, slowly jacking him off. 

“Zuko….for once in your life….just let go.” He whispered, moving his thumb over the tip and rubbing gently. 

“Ah fuckkk” He moaned louder than before. 

His noises and squirming demeanor were having a similar effect on Sokka as he buried his face in his partner’s neck and growled against his skin. “FUCK you sound so hot.” 

“Shh...the guards will hear you!” Zuko hissed, a little louder than he meant to. 

“What? They don’t care. I bet they heard your dad doing this all the time.” Sokka snorted. 

He winced at the mention of the previous firelord. “Ah...ah! I would prefer….n-not to think about  _ that _ while doing  _ this _ with you.” He hissed again as Sokka’s grip on him tightened and he began dragging his tongue along his collarbone. 

“What? Thinking about your dad doesn’t turn you on?” He snorted, breath hot against his already sweaty skin. 

“Sokka!” He hissed, smacking his shoulder to get him to shut up.

The sound of sweaty skin slapping together resonated throughout the chamber and made him wince. The guards definitely heard that one. Sokka rolled his eyes at the chastising and just used his arms to flip Zuko over onto all fours, his hand making it’s way to press against his perineum. One arm wrapped around Zuko’s waist, holding him steady while the other went to support Sokka as he dipped down and began pressing wet, hot kisses against his inner thigh. “Ah...AH...Sokaa!” He moaned, trying to cover his mouth with the pillow. “S-stop...they’ll hear.” He whined as the sound of Sokka’s lips against his skin got louder and he slipped a finger into him. 

“Zuko, baby, I don’t think they care. Besides, what’s going to happen if they do? Afraid they’ll just stop doing their job because they now know their precious firelord likes to take it from the back?” He said, raising his head slightly from between his thighs. “Just let go.” He whispered, slipping another slicked up finger inside him. “Come on, let me make you feel good baby.” 

Zuko groaned and fell forward onto his elbows. He wasn’t entirely sure what made him agree, whether it was the heat or just the fact that Sokka felt so damn good inside of him, but after that night….the flush on the guards faces the next morning indicated that they had most definitely heard them. However he didn’t seem to care as much anymore. He just loved seeing how happy his unadulterated noises had made Sokka the night before, and that was all he focused on. 

With Zuko’s new found confidence, the two were able to explore their intimacy much deeper with each other. This lead to many embarrassing interactions with the guards outside the chamber, but honestly, they both began to get used to the idea that no matter where they did it….someone was going to overhear them fucking. 

Sokka began to learn Zuko’s patterns more and was able to figure out what to do to get the firelord to relax and let go more often. He found that Zuko really  _ really  _ enjoyed having Sokka take control. After a long day of leading meetings and making decisions it made sense that he just wanted someone else to tell him what to do. He also learned he was particularly fond of Sokka’s voice and was constantly begging for him to talk dirty to him or to simply talk to him during sex. 

“Beg for it bitch.” He hissed, thrusting his fingers into his lover roughly and pressing his face against his neck. 

It was a night after a particularly long day of meetings and Zuko was feeling more submissive tonight than usual, which Sokka was definitely  _ not  _ going to complain about. 

Zuko whined beneath him and squirmed under the weight of Sokka’s body. “Sokka...Sokka please….” He moaned, digging his fingernails into the others back. 

“Please what?” Sokka growled against his ear

“I want you…. I need you...please fuck me.” He whined, throwing his head back as Sokka pushed another finger into him. 

“Not until you earn it.” He whispered.

This resulted in a particularly loud moan from his lover and Sokka smirked against his skin. Even though they tended to opt for rougher sex on nights like this, he was still glad he could give Zuko a momentary release from the pressures of being firelord. 

Zuko panted and threw his arms over his head, gripping into the headboard behind him and arching his back into the touch. Sokka’s other arm slid down from where it had been tangled in his long black hair and traveled down the side of his body. The ran his fingers down his thigh and hooked the arm underneath him, gently pushing his lovers leg forward to rest on his shoulder. “Ahh fuck….uh so good Sokka…..ah...ah AH!” Suddenly the moans of pleasure dissolved in a sharp cry of pain and Sokka immediately dropped his leg and pulled away from the other. 

“Zuko are you okay?” He asked, bringing his face back to his to look in his eyes. 

“Ah...yeah, sorry….ow” He winced as he shifted his hips beneath Sokka. 

“Did I push you too far?” Sokka asked, brow furrowed. 

“No, I just hurt this leg in training today. I thought it was healed but I guess it's still a little sore.” Zuko said, gesturing to the leg that had been resting previously against his shoulder. 

Sokka frowned and let his fingers caress his thigh gently rubbing into the muscle. “Why didn’t you tell me? I wouldn’t have done  _ that _ if I had known.”

Zuko flushed and looked away. “I didn’t want you to worry.”

Sokka rolled his eyes. Zuko was always so determined to prove to everyone he was a strong leader and hated acknowledging his weaknesses, even in bed he had difficulty telling Sokka when something was physically too much. “Well now I’m worried because you  _ didn’t _ tell me. Great job your lordship.” Sokka said with a sarcastic snort of laughter. 

“I’m sorry.” Zuko whispered in a voice that was barely audible. 

Sokka reached his hand under his chin to pull his lips to kiss him but noticed a subtle wall of tears welling in those amber eyes. “Hey hey hey” he whispered, nuzzling against Zuko’s nose, voicing changing from his previously sarcastic drawl to a gentle, caring whisper. “What’s wrong?” 

“I-I didn’t want you to be mad at me.” He whispered back, a nervous look on his face. 

“Baby, I would never be mad at you for something like that. I love you and I want you to feel good. I want to take care of you.” Sokka said gently, pressing a few kisses against his cheeks. 

Zuko flushed but he gave a small, grateful smile. He knew it was difficult for the other to allow someone to take care of him, to focus their affection on him and only him, but he was glad that Zuko was trusting him enough to do it tonight. Sokka brought his face up to press a gentle kiss against his lips. Zuko returned the kiss and brought his hand up to hold steady to Sokka’s shoulder. “You can keep going.” He whispered, wiggling slightly underneath him. 

“Are you sure?” Sokka asked, pulling back to gaze into his eyes, looking for any sign of anxiety. 

Zuko nodded and placed his hands on Sokka’s hips, pushing them down slightly. Sokka smiled and shimmied back down to his previous position, wrapping an arm gently around Zuko’s waist and the other hand caressed his inner thigh, rubbing the muscles there. “Okay but this time, we’re doing it gently. Can’t have your trainer coming for my head because the firelord’s too sore from amazing, passionate, wild sex to practice.” He said, smirking. 

Zuko snorted and looked down at him, one hand lazily gripping onto Sokka’s hair. “Someone thinks highly of himself.” 

“But can you deny it?” Sokka asked, winking and making Zuko blush. 

And that was how they spent the night. With soft, gentle whispers and movements. Sokka dragged his hands all over his lover, making sure he was comfortable and relaxed the entire time, and Zuko surrendered to the touches, allowing Sokka to take care of him and make love to him. They fell asleep around 5am just an hour before the sun rose, and when the early light penetrated the windows, making Zuko stir, Sokka was not ready to get up. 

“Sokka...Sokka….wake up.” Zuko’s soft voice was the first thing he heard as he blinked his eyes open, glaring at assaulting sunlight. 

“Mhmmm.” He groaned, burying his face against his neck and snuggling closer into Zuko. 

“Come on, we have to get dressed before breakfast gets here.” Zuko whispered. 

“Noooo” Sokka moaned, clinging to him tighter. “I wanna stay here and cuddle.” 

“We have things to do today.” Zuko said, stroking his hair back. 

“No. Cuddle.” 

“Fineee.” Zuko rolled his eyes, shifting back to his side and allowing Sokka to engulf him in his arms. 

“Hmmm.” His partner hummed happily, burying his face in his hair and exhaling. 

They stayed there for a few minutes, relaxing in eachothers arms, until the knock signaling breakfast had arrived came. “Enter!” Zuko called, flushing slightly as he saw Oyuna’s eyes widen and dart to their discarded clothes. He imagined they must be quite the sight to see, red fire nation sheets pulled over their mostly naked bodies, clothes flung about the floor, and Zuko noticed the bottle of massage oil Sokka had used to rub his back and legs had rolled onto the floor. 

“Ah thank you Oyuna. Could you actually put the tray over here?” Zuko said, sitting up and gesturing to the table beside his bed. 

It wasn’t customary for the firelord to eat breakfast in bed, let alone with a half naked lover who also happened to be the ambassador to the southern water tribe next to him, but Zuko could never say no to Sokka, and Sokka wanted to cuddle. Sokka whined as Zuko moved away from him and scrambled back to press his body against him once more, nuzzling his way under his arm. Zuko rolled his eyes and squeezed his shoulder slightly. “You’re pathetic.” he laughed. 

“Mhmmm too tired...to lift….arm….must….eat….food.” Sokka said, dramatically gazing at the food beside them. 

Zuko rolled his eyes and reached out to grab a piece of toast, then held it to his lips and laughed as Sokka pulled it from him and proceeded to lick his fingers. “Are those fire sausages or regular sausages?” Sokka asked, sitting up slightly. 

“Sokka I’m not going to feed you your breakfast!” Zuko said, giving an exasperated sigh. 

“Why noooot! I took care of you last nighttttt. I don’t wanna get up.” Sokka whined, flopping his head against Zuko’s collarbone and pouting. 

“Fineee.” Zuko muttered, grabbing a sausage and feeding it to the pathetic boy clinging to him. He could never say no to Sokka. 

****

“Babe stop fussing with your hair, you look gorgeous.” 

It was the one year anniversary of Zuko’s coronation and the transition away from a ruthless leader tonight, and Zuko had been fussing in front of the mirror with his hair and robes for the last  _ hour.  _ “I just want everything to go well tonight.” Zuko said, that pinched expression he got when he was worried began to creep onto his face. 

“Relax, the council members aren’t going to be paying that much attention to your outfit.” he snickered, grabbing another piece of seal jerk from the small bowl Oyuna had smuggled up for him from the international spread the kitchens were putting together.  _ Bless that girl.  _ Sokka thought to himself. 

“I don’t care about them.” Zuko said, fiddling with his crown. 

“Who are you so worried about then?” Sokka said, looking up. “Because if it's me, trust me, I think you’ve already won me over.” 

Zuko rolled his eyes. “Oh I don’t know maybe it has something to do with the chief of the southern water tribe coming and me having to tell him I’ve been fucking his son for the past few months.” 

“Hmm I wouldn’t lead with that if I were you. Also it's been more me fucking you if we’re being honest.” He said, smirking and watching the exasperated expression on his partner’s face grow bigger. 

“Whatever! Your family is terrifying!” 

“Your family single handedly took over half the world, destroyed my village, wiped out an entire nation, tried to murder me multiple times, and also tried to kill my sister.” Sokka said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Exactly! They’re evil, it doesn’t matter if they hate me. I don’t want my boyfriend’s family to hate me!” 

“Boyfriend?” Sokka said, smirking again. Zuko had never called him that before.

He flushed and looked away. “Uh...I mean….that’s...thats what we are….right?” 

Sokka laughed at his sudden influx of nerves. “Duh. I just never heard you call me that word until now. It sounds good.” He said, getting up and wrapping his arms around his waist. “And you look beautiful.” He whispered, pressing a kiss against his cheek. 

The rest of the night went just as Zuko hoped. Katara and Aang both cheered when they told them and Hakoda pulled him into a bone crushing hug and gave him a lecture about not breaking his son’s heart, but was grinning all throughout the talk. 

After that night, the two boys felt more at ease being a couple in the palace. Around the councilmen and the other officials they remained professional, but when the officials had retired home for the night they let their guard down, often spending time strolling hand in hand in the gardens or lounging on the large balcony attached to Zuko’s suite. 

A few months after they became official, Zuko suggested Sokka move into the official firelord suites. Sokka hesitated at first; it was not even considered customary for the firelord's spouse had shared the room in the past, but Zuko pointed out the majority of firelord relationships were based on status and also that most firelords also considered genocide customary. After that conversation, Sokka agreed and soon renovation began on the large suite of rooms. 

Zuko spared no expense to make sure his partner felt at home and comfortable in their new room and Sokka loved every minute of falling asleep surrounded by items from his own culture and Zuko’s. 

The next few years were marked by political difficulties and numerous uprisings from Ozai sympathizers, but they were also marked by the growing relationship between the young warrior and firelord. 

The palace became a friendlier place to live in, and the lingering feeling of terror and anxiety that Ozai had left throughout the place was slowly eradicated; replaced by the kindness and tenderness of two young lovers; an often disgruntled yet remarkably kind and passionate firelord, and an overly enthusiastic but incredibly caring young ambassador. 

After an in depth conversation with Oyuna, Sokka learned that the management of the palace staff traditionally fell under the spouse of the fire lord, but since there had not been someone that filled that role for many years it had fallen to one of the councilors, who neglected the position. From then on he took it upon himself to make sure everyone in the palace had adequate pay, healthcare, and reasonable hours of work. 

**** 

“So….how does it feel?” 

Sokka turned around to see Zuko coming back from the door to their bedroom holding two glasses of champagne. “Haven’t we already had enough drinks?” Sokka laughed, accepting the glass. 

Zuko shrugged and took a sip. “I thought it would be nice to take a moment, you know...just for us.” 

Sokka smiled and nodded. It had been a crazy night, full of conversation with foreign leaders and congratulations from everyone who had been in the young couples' vicinity. “Join me on the balcony?” Zuko asked, brushing his hand against Sokka’s elbow gently. 

He nodded and followed the other out through the large wooden doors that sat at the end of their suite. The night was warm and below them the gardens lay in full bloom, fire lilies swaying gently in the breeze, turtle ducks sleeping peacefully against the dark waters of the pond. “You didn’t answer my question” Zuko said after a moment, leaning against the gold railing and fixing his amber eyes on the other. “How does it feel?” 

Sokka’s hand traveled up to brush the silver metal that now adorned his head, a brilliant blue stone set into the front. “Like….I can’t believe we’re finally married.” He said, smiling at his husband.

“No second thoughts?”

Sokka rolled his eyes and set his glass down, encircling the other in his arms and pulling him close. “Never.” He whispered, pressing their lips together. 

Zuko smiled and returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around his husband’s neck and looking out over the gardens. The sun was just starting to rise, bathing the world in a warm orange glow. Never in a million years did Zuko ever imagine he would be here. Standing beside his best friend, who was now his husband, in a place he had once been told never to return to. 

In the warmth of the dawn he turned to gaze into those familiar blue eyes. “You know….when I first became firelord….I had to sit and listen to the complaints of the citizens to try and gain their trust. They came into the throne room one after another and yelled at me, asking what I was going to do to fix the damage and heartbreak the war had caused…” He whispered.

He felt Sokka’s grip tightened, holding him closer. “One lady was particularly angry, shouting about how my father had taken everything and left a legacy of hatred and violence. Then she asked me what my legacy would be. I was so taken aback by her question I never got a chance to answer.” 

He sighed and gazed back out at the world before them, which was a much different place than the one he had inherited. He remembered the first few days after his coronation, he was so terrified. Terrified of his new responsibilities, terrified of becoming just like his father, and terrified that his best friend would leave him here alone. But Sokka had never left his side. “I want my legacy to be loving my people just as I love you. Endlessly and immeasurably.” He said softly.

“My father never loved my mother, and people could tell. He treated her just like he treated his people, expendable, just another person made to serve him. I don’t want to be like that.” He whispered, pressing his face into the side of Sokka’s neck. 

“You won’t be.” Sokka whispered back. 

“I know. Because I have you.” He said, pulling away to look back into his eyes. 

Sokka smiled and placed his hand against his cheek. “I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Zuko murmured, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead against Sokka’s.

They stayed there for a while, enjoying the warm of the rising sun and the way it illuminated the flowers below them. They stayed there, observing as the darkness of the night vanished, replaced by the light of a new day. They sat in silence, for no words needed to be passed between them. All that had happened and all that lay before them slipped away, and in that moment it was just the two of them, sharing this time in each other's arms, watching as the world they had created together prepared for a new day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very late but I hope you guys liked seeing Sokka and Zuko's perspective of the first chapter :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! I might do another chapter thats all these encounters from Zuko and Sokka's perspective so let me know if ya'll would want to see that or not :) Comments on my fics are the only thing that give me serotonin rn so please don't hesitate to comment anything :)


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